A Vital Mineral for Prevention of Heart Disease, Osteoporosis, and High Blood Pressure!

Are you familiar with the fact that magnesium is one of the most essential minerals and co-factors for enzymes in your body? Namely, it plays an important role in a great number of physiologic pathways, for instance: energy production, ion transport, protein and nucleic acid synthesis, and cell signalling.

However, severe magnesium deficiency is known as hypomagnesaemia, which can impede calcium homeostasis as well as vitamin D. Also, this deficiency has been linked to a high risk of heart disease, hypertension, osteoporosis, and diabetes.

According to some preliminary studies, magnesium intake can improve insulin sensitivity in people, who have a higher risk of diabetes.

The connection between magnesium and osteoporosis prevention

The primary feature of osteoporosis is lowered bone mineral density, i.e., BMD. But, changes in the mineral fracture and collagenous matrix can also lead to brittle bones susceptible to fracture.

In fact, magnesium makes up 1% of bone mineral. Also, it affects the bone mineral metabolism and bone matrix.

Furthermore, inadequate serum magnesium levels contribute to low serum calcium levels and resistance to effects of vitamin D and parathyroid hormone action, which are responsible for increasing the bone loss.

There is a research that has shown positive effects of magnesium intake on increasing the bone mass density in men and women.

The relation between magnesium and hypertension

Magnesium intake has also been positively associated with an excellent therapeutic effect when it comes to hypertension treatment.

Supplemental magnesium actually decreases the blood pressure in hypertensive patients. But, it does not decrease the blood pressure in normotensive sufferers.

Hypertensive individuals, who have lowered magnesium levels in their bodies as a result of inadequate dietary intake or chronic diuretic use should have regular oral magnesium intake.

There are also other factors that play a great role in blood pressure reduction. In other words, they include adherence to a DASH diet, i.e., a diet rich in low-fat dairy, vegetables and fruits as well as low in total and saturated fats. Also, antihypertensive medication for instance: diuretics are needed.

The link between magnesium and heart disease

Heart disease risk factors, for instance high bad and low good cholesterol, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome, are also associated with low dietary magnesium intake.

More research should be carried out to look at this efficient mineral, i.e., magnesium, as a possible treatment for heart disease as magnesium is the common denominator of almost all risk factors for this health problem.

The easiest way to identify magnesium deficiency in your body:

Actually, magnesium deficiency can easily go unnoticed in those suffering from heart disease and other conditions.

These are some magnesium deficiency symptoms:

- Acid reflux

- Kidney stones

- Constipation

- Anxiety

As a result of the low levels of magnesium in the bloodstream, i.e., about 1%, its deficiency cannot be tested on common chem screens along with the calcium, potassium, and sodium.

But, magnesium deficiency can be tested with the red blood count or RBC magnesium test. It also is advisable to have annual screening.

Dosage

The recommended magnesium dosage from dietary sources is 400-420 mg/day in males and 310-320 mg/day in females, if they are more than 31 years old. Moreover, the supplemental magnesium intake should not exceed 350 mg/day in both males as well as females.

Magnesium sources:

- Magnesium is one of the chlorophyll’s constituents and therefore, the green leafy vegetables, for instance kale and spinach are abundant in this mineral.

- Magnesium oxide, magnesium citrate salts, magnesium chloride, and magnesium gluconate are supplemental magnesium sources. Additionally, there are several amino acid chelates, such as magnesium aspartate that are available.

- Unrefined whole grains, such as brown rice

- Almonds

- Nuts, for instance hazelnuts and peanuts

- Fruits, including banana

- Lima beans

- Cereals, for example all bran, wheat, and oat bran

- Swiss chard

- Okra

- Molasses, blackstrap

- Meat and milk contain intermediate magnesium content.

As you can see, magnesium plays a very important role in the function and structure of your body.

At least 25 grams of the magnesium mineral are actually found in the human body. Moreover, the human skeleton contains more than 60% of magnesium found in the body, 27% in the muscle, 7% in other body cells as well as 1% in the blood.

What’s more, magnesium is involved in more than 300 crucial metabolic reactions in the body.